Abstract
In recent years, the widespread prevalence of loneliness, materialism, and Internet addiction have been widely studied. Studies have addressed either loneliness or materialism and its relationship with Internet addiction. However, to date, no study has addressed all three concepts in a single study. The purpose of this study was: 1) to investigate whether loneliness or materialism is a reliable predictor of Internet addiction and 2) what is the nature of the relationship among these variables across gender. Data were collected from a crosssectional online-survey, which consisted of US adults (N = 311). The survey consisted of 42 items related to the key constructs. Additionally, some demographic variables were also included in the survey. Loneliness was not associated with Internet addiction. On the other hand, materialism was strongly associated with Internet addiction. The aforementioned relationship was valid across gender. Between loneliness and materialism, materialism was a strong predictor of Internet addiction.
Highlights
The 21st century is replete with epidemics
The purpose of this study was: 1) to investigate whether loneliness or materialism is a reliable predictor of Internet addiction and 2) what is the nature of the relationship among these variables across gender
The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) resulted in a good model fit
Summary
The 21st century is replete with epidemics. Loneliness, materialism, and Internet addiction have received considerable attention. The aforementioned epidemics have been reported to have negative implications both for the individual as well as the society in general. Loneliness has been associated with physical (e.g., diabetes) and psychological disorders (e.g., anxiety) ([1]). Materialism has been associated with psychological disorders (e.g., anxiety and substance abuse; [2] [3]). With advent of technological progress, the concept of Internet addiction and its negative conse-
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